Obituary: Kevin Carroll

By Lauren C. Williams, Mark Rockwell

May 21, 2020

Kevin Carroll speaking at an AFCEA event in an undated photo. (Image courtesy: Army PEO EIS)

Long-time Army procurement expert Kevin Carroll has passed away. Carroll was a Fed 100 award winner in 1998, 2002, and 2007, and treasured in the federal IT community for his humble, adept and skillful management as program executive officer of the Army's Enterprise Information Systems (PEO EIS). He retired from the position in 2007 after almost a decade helming the Army's top information technology shop.

PEO EIS confirmed to FCW that Carroll died May 19.

"This news hits us very hard, as Mr. Carroll was family -- a great and compassionate leader and a friend to all. We celebrate his legacy and service to PEO EIS and the Army, and send our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones," a PEO EIS spokesperson said in a statement provided to FCW. "He will never be forgotten."

"Kevin, what an amazing human being" with a "a calming influence," said Chérie Smith, the outgoing program executive for PEO EIS, during remarks at her virtual retirement party May 21.

She said Carroll hired her for her first project management job, adding that his own retirement celebrations lasted a year "because everyone wanted to say goodbye."

Carroll grew PEO EIS from 170 people and 20 systems, to 650 employees and more than 120 systems spread across all the combat support areas, including logistics, personnel, finance and medical.

Carroll started his contracting career at the Department of Transportation and moved to the Coast Guard where he specialized in IT systems acquisition.

Friends and colleagues remembered Carroll as a community builder and someone who looked to make connections across agency silos.

"Kevin set the standard for accessibility as a government official," Joanne Connelly, a former Federal Computer Week editor said in an email. "He always made the time to listen and provide insight or offer a suggestion."

About the Authors

Lauren C. Williams is a staff writer at FCW covering defense and cybersecurity.

Prior to joining FCW, Williams was the tech reporter for ThinkProgress, where she covered everything from internet culture to national security issues. In past positions, Williams covered health care, politics and crime for various publications, including The Seattle Times.

Williams graduated with a master's in journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park and a bachelor's in dietetics from the University of Delaware. She can be contacted at [email protected], or follow her on Twitter @lalaurenista.

Mark Rockwell is a senior staff writer at FCW, whose beat focuses on acquisition, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Energy.

Before joining FCW, Rockwell was Washington correspondent for Government Security News, where he covered all aspects of homeland security from IT to detection dogs and border security. Over the last 25 years in Washington as a reporter, editor and correspondent, he has covered an increasingly wide array of high-tech issues for publications like Communications Week, Internet Week, Fiber Optics News, tele.com magazine and Wireless Week.

Rockwell received a Jesse H. Neal Award for his work covering telecommunications issues, and is a graduate of James Madison University.